


ghosts that we knew

by orphan_account



Series: pokemon femslash [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Adventures, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Femslash, Gen, Mei centric, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Post-Pokemon Black 2 & White 2, does this count as a roadtrip, kind of very dysfunctional, maybe? lol, rebuilding relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-04 22:24:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11564547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Mei goes on a journey to find the hero that went missing two years ago.





	1. Prologue: A Journey Begins

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is my hopefully long angst/"it's complicated" sequel to bw/bw2  
> all the kids are around 16/17 in this  
> rating may or may not change due to swearing/level of angst?  
> this is probably gonna be shit but hey!!! im gonna have fun so whatever  
> im adding more to the first chapter  
> ill probably do this a lot

__

Bianca and Cheren moved as if there was a ghost beside them. Mei first noticed it when she returned from her journey, and they were waiting at her house to congratulate her. It was the first time she saw them together. 

They moved in tandem, finished each other's sentences. But something was off, in the way they stumbled and paused together, as if waiting for someone else to move with them, to finish their sentences. It was painful to watch, and she could feel the ache in their voices.

She could guess what this was about, but she didn’t want to.

Something about it rankled. She wasn’t sure what.

They started coming over every other week, then every week, and finally ever day. Mei didn’t complain. Bianca always brought food, and Cheren always brought new stories about challengers. He got this crinkly-eyed smile when he talked about them, and Mei didn’t need to be around him all of the time to know he didn’t usually smile like that. Bianca’s expression when he did—a mixture between elated and sad—was enough. The way he looked almost surprised when he caught himself laughing was enough.

Mei loved spending time with them—gardening and cooking with Bianca, watching her knit and begging her to teach her, listening to Bianca’s stifled laughs when she failed to even properly cast on and off; listening to Cheren talk passionately about education and the welfare of pokémon, resting her head against his shoulder as he read, playing chess with him by firelight.

She loved it all, but she could never shake off the feeling that a ghost hovered over them.

The first night they spent the night, they slept on the couch; or at least, they tried to. Halfway through the night she came out and dragged them into her bed.

After that, they spent almost every night with her, taking in the comfort of sleeping beside someone.

Something had shifted, imperceptibly.

**_.._**

Night had fallen quickly; winter was creeping closer by the minute. Bianca was washing the dishes, as Mei had cooked the dinner, and Mei and Cheren were playing chess by firelight. Mei was winning, but she had the sneaking suspicion that Cheren was letting her. He had a soft smile on his face, which Mei liked on him. It wasn’t often that he smiled, and when he did it was always quiet. 

Mei was about to open her mouth and say something about it (what, she didn’t know), when Bianca called out from the kitchen.

“Touko, can you put this pot away from me, I can’t quite reach—” Their was a loud clattering noise, but Mei and Cheren remained frozen.

Mei couldn’t breathe; she’d known, she had, but this  _ hurt _ , and—she didn’t realize she was crying until Cheren reached forward to wipe away her tears. She batted his hand away with a glare. He looked slightly hurt, but he didn’t protest. 

Somehow, that made it hurt more.

It took many hours of coaxing and apologies to get her to speak again. Her eyes were red and puffy, and theirs were too. She forced herself to look them in the eye. They didn’t flinch. She had to admire that.

“I’m going to find her,” She said, eyes blazing. They didn’t protest. Their silence felt like a stab in the heart.

**_.._**

The early morning mist rose from the grass like the echo of a ghost. Mei trudged on, dew soaking her the hems of her pants, and Bianca followed her silently. 

Cheren was nowhere to be found. 

They walked in total silence until the reached the place where the grass stopped growing and the road began. Here, Mei stopped and turned so suddenly that Bianca bumped into her. She wobbled, and would have fallen if Mei had not wrapped her arms around her and held her there for a moment longer than necessary. 

When Bianca stepped back, she looked at Mei consideringly. Mei flushed and muttered something inaudible under her breath. Bianca shrugged and rummaged around in the sack. She pulled out a small, ordinary looking book. Mei recognized it as something she had seen Cheren writing in often.

Her throat closed up.

“From Cheren,” Bianca said unnecessarily. Mei nodded, eyes damp; Bianca politely ignored it. “It’s everything he remembers of her, and more,” Bianca said softly, refusing to look at her, “He thought it might help.” 

Mei forced herself to smile. “And what about you?” She asked, going for playful and missing by a mile. “Do I get a gift from you?” Bianca gave her another considering look before raising onto the tips of her toes and pressing a kiss to Mei’s lips. It was dry and brief, but there was some tenderness in it. Bianca’s eyes were blazing when the kiss ended. “Come back,” She said so fiercely that it almost startled Mei, “And bring her with you.” There was nothing to say to that, so Mei turned and stepped onto the dusty path, already feeling lighter. 

She always did at the beginning of a journey.

 

 


	2. Weary Traveler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Mei staggered into the Pokémon Center and a hush fell over the building. She must have looked a wreck.

She fell, rather than walked, towards the counter and, more importantly, Nurse Joy, and a woman standing near the counter caught her. “Thanks,” She whispered hoarsely, sagging against the woman gratefully. The woman gave the barest of nods, which Mei did not see, but felt.

Nurse Joy gasped and scurried towards the two, an Audino close behind. “Are you alright?” She whispered, hovering nervously. Mei tried to respond, but no sound would come out of her mouth.

“Here,” Nurse Joy said, frowning worriedly, “Why don’t you sit down?” 

Nurse Joy and the woman lead her to a chair and gently lowered her down. The woman sank down with her, keeping her arms around her as if she was afraid Mei would topple out of the chair. She probably would.

Nurse Joy hovered, hands fluttering anxiously, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I’ll get you some water,” She said, and darted away to the center’s back room. Audino stayed with Mei and the woman, making reassuring noises.

Mei tried to breathe but choked on dust. The woman eyed her warily. “Hey there,” She said lowly, “Slow down.” Mei nodded and forced herself to breathe slowly.

Nurse Joy returned, a tall glass of water in her hand. “Here,” She said quietly, lifting the glass to Mei’s lips. Mei gulped the water down, and it tasted like mud.  _ That’s what I get for wandering the desert without any sort of covering, _ she thought waspishly, but she didn’t actually care much. Water was water.

“Thanks,” She said hoarsely, once she had finished. Nurse Joy smiled, relieved. “You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?” 

“My pokemon,” Mei said, struggling to sit up fully. Nurse Joy pushed her back down gently, a small smile on her face. “Audino will take care of them,” She said. The pokémon in question scurried from behind her, chirruping sweetly. Mei reached down for her pokéballs, but Nurse Joy swatted her hands away. “Let me,” she said softly, unbuckling Mei’s satchel and handing it to Audino, who scurried away again.

“Now,” Nurse Joy said, hands on her hips, “Is there anything I can do for  _ you _ ?” 

Mei’s eyes fluttered shut. “Do you know of a place I can stay?” 

“You can stay with me,” The woman said firmly.

Mei tried to thank her, but she was already drifting off to sleep.

  
  


Mei was awoken by something cold and wet pushing against her face.

Still half asleep, she jolted backward and slammed her head against the wall. She yelped, and her eyes flew open.

A lillipup was standing on her chest, gazing at her with big, bright eyes. It stepped forward, pushing its nose against her cheek, yipping softly.  _ Oh. _

A soft laugh came from her right. Mei looked over, wide-eyed, to see the woman from yesterday smiling warmly at her. She seemed a mixture of amused and relieved.

“This is Chika, I’m training her to be a service pokémon.” She said.

“Oh,” Mei said quietly, “Can I pet her?”

The woman chuckled. “Go right ahead.”

Mei lifted her hand slowly, patting the lillipup gently on the head. Chika yipped happily and nuzzled Mei’s hand. Mei felt warm and soft. She hadn’t felt this happy and safe in a while.

 

Later that morning, when Mei was dressed and washed, she helped the woman make breakfast. The woman kept glancing at her, a faraway look in her eyes; Mei waited for her to say something.

Finally, after the dishes were cleaned and put away, she spoke. 

“You remind me of someone,” She said softly. Mei froze. It couldn’t be—

“You look very different, but it’s something about the way your eyes burn.”  _ Oh. _ Bianca had said the same thing once, or something familiar.  _ Your eyes burn. Just like… _

Mei swallowed, eyes downcast, and the woman made a distressed noise. “I’m sorry. Do you hear that often?” 

Mei shook her head. 

“Only once,” She whispered. Her heart ached fiercely at the memory and she blinked rapidly in case of tears.

“Well,”  She said, voice cracking slightly, “I should leave now.”

 

Mei packed hastily in silence. Chika trailed after her like a tiny shadow, making small, mournful sounds, as if she knew Mei was leaving.The woman stayed out of sight, giving Mei some space.

It wasn’t until Mei had closed the door behind her and began walking away that the woman burst out of her house, Chika in her arms. “Wait!” She called out breathlessly.

Mei stopped short and turned around. The woman set Chika on the ground, and the lillipup ran towards Mei, tail wagging excitedly. 

“You should take her,” The woman said softly, avoiding Mei’s gaze. 

But you’re training her,” Mei said, puzzled. The woman shrugged. “She’s taken a shine to you, and you need her more than I do.”   
Mei leaned down and scooped the happy lillipup into her arms. 

“Thanks,” She said, smiling slightly when Chika licked her cheek.

They stood silently for several moments, gazing at each other intently.

“What’s your name?” Mei asked suddenly. The woman started. “Aki.” She said.

“Aki,” Mei repeated.

“That’s a nice name. I’m Mei.” Aki smiled at her. “Mei sounds lovely,” She said softly. 

She rummaged through her satchel and pulled out a thick looking book. “Everything you need to know about training lillipups, and a few notes on Chika specifically,” She said, handing it over. Mei tucked it into her bag. “Thanks,” She said quietly. 

She turned and left before the silence could drag on again; she hated goodbyes. She always had.

Aki and her little house receded into the distance, and Mei turned her eyes to the horizon, more determined than ever. She was going to find Touko, no matter what it took, and she was going to bring her back to Bianca and Cheren, make them happy again. Whole again. Maybe then she could find her real place in their life.


End file.
